1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a system, apparatus and method for treating or lessening sleep disorder symptoms. In particular, there is a light therapy mask coupled to a device having a data management system.
2. Background
Without limiting the scope of the invention, the present background is described in connection of treating or lessening sleep disorder symptoms. A circadian rhythm is any biological process that displays an endogenous, entrainable oscillation of about 24 hours. These rhythms are driven by a circadian clock, and rhythms have been widely observed in plants, animals, fungi, and cyanobacteria. Although circadian rhythms are endogenous (“built-in”, self-sustained), they are adjusted (entrained) to the local environment by external cues called zeitgebers, commonly the most important of which is daylight.
The master network coordinating our circadian clock is based in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, where neurons exhibit circadian rhythms in their electrical activity and are driven by cell-autonomous molecular feedback loops. These neural activity rhythms are critical for circadian output and are reciprocally required for the sustained generation of their own internal molecular oscillations. Output from this SCN clock regulates oscillatory sleep and arousal control centers, leading downstream to the organization of our daily sleep-wake behavior.
Retinal light exposure is the preeminent synchronizer of circadian rhythms in mammals, including humans.
Human alertness demonstrates a circadian rhythmicity with a seemingly paradoxical nadir of sleepiness at the end of the day (the “Maintenance of Wakefulness Zone”), followed by a peak in difficulty sustaining wakefulness in the second third of the sleep period (approximately 3-5 A.M.) and then a gradual in-crease in alertness until the next evening. Pineal release of melatonin is stimulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN) starting about 1-2 h before habitual sleep onset time and continuing through the night, unless such stimulation is masked by light of more than 50-100 lx intensity.
The International Classification of Sleep Disorders lists approximately 60 disorders of human sleep including circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD). CRSD usually present as a social problem in a person's sleep/wake timing. The most common complaints for CRSD are difficulty initiating or ending sleep at appropriate social times.
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders are classified into the following types according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine: advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD), delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), free-running sleep disorder (FRSD), irregular sleep-wake disorder (ISWD), jet lag disorder, and shift work disorder.
There is no fully automated, non-invasive method, currently available on the market, for treating circadian rhythms disorders. Commercially available solutions are ineffective, impractical or unwieldy.
There is accordingly a need for a solution to be fully automated, non-invasive to the user and handy such that the system could be used in all conditions, especially at work or while traveling.
There is a need to obtain benefits of using a system that will completely cure or minimize the disturbance caused by abnormal circadian rhythms (e.g. jet lag), such as: poor sleep during new night-times, including delayed sleep onset (after eastward flights), early awakening (after westward flights), and fractionated sleep (after flights in either direction); poor performance during the new daytimes at both physical and mental tasks; negative subjective changes (these include increased fatigue, higher frequency of headaches and irritability, and a decreased ability to concentrate); and gastrointestinal disturbances (indigestion, the frequency of defecation, and the consistency of the stools) and decreased interest in, and enjoyment of, meals.
Another problem to be addressed is to solve the automatic detection of sleep apnea, particularly in the patient's home.
Sleep apnea (SA) is a common sleep disorder characterized by multiple cessations of breathing during sleep that lead to intermit-tent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. Each apnea, the period of the cessation of breathing, can last from 10 s to several minutes. The severity of SA is categorized as mild, moderate, or severe, based on the number of apneas per hour, and it is the most frequent medical cause of daytime sleepiness. Untreated SA has been shown to increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents, and evidence indicates that SA is a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease-related mortality and morbidity.
There are many devices on the market that examine sleep apnea in the patient's home. They measure biological parameters such as finger pulse oximetry, movements of the chest, airflow in the mouth/nose. However, in order to determine sleep apnea, a sleep study is required to conclude that when the breathing has stopped the patient was asleep.
Accordingly, there is a further need for a system, apparatus and method that will automatically stage the patient's sleep, so one will be sure that the sleep apnea occurred during sleep or when the patient was awake.